Broken and inaccessible: Bengaluru’s footpaths fail persons with disabilities
Visually challenged citizens and wheelchair users in Bengaluru report that the city's footpaths are largely inaccessible due to poor maintenance and physical obstructions. The lack of tactile paving and broken infrastructure forces vulnerable pedestrians onto dangerous roads.
Why it matters
This highlights the systemic failure of urban planning to accommodate persons with disabilities, impacting their independence and safety.
“People assume a footpath is the safest place for me. Whenever they see me walking on the road with my white cane, trying to figure out whether I am brushing past people or vehicles, they immediately help me onto the footpath. But it is even more dangerous,” said Shantanna, who is visually challenged .
Shantanna, who works at a cafe near Coffee Board Junction and travels independently every day, said navigating Bengaluru’s footpaths and roads are a daily nightmare. “Footpaths are either broken or suddenly disappear. There are trees, electric poles and other obstacles in the middle of these paths. Nobody seems to have thought about whether a person with disability or someone using a wheelchair would actually be able to use these footpaths,” he said.
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